Oral care appliances that clean the teeth with streams or bursts of liquid or a mixture of liquid droplets and air are effective at disrupting biofilm in the oral cavity, particularly in the interproximal areas of the teeth. These appliances generally create liquid droplets when the liquid is brought into contact with a high velocity stream of air using a pump or similar arrangement.
Coordinated bursts of liquid and air use far less liquid per cleaning compared to a continuous stream of liquid. As a result, less liquid is used per cleaning and the user does not accumulate an uncomfortable volume of liquid in the mouth. This is particularly beneficial when the liquid is a mouthwash or similar liquid which shouldn't be swallowed by the user. Additionally, the alternating bursts of air and liquid provide superior biofilm removal and interdental cleaning.
However, existing oral care devices using coordinated bursts of liquid and air typically have a single setting of either ON or OFF. When the device is OFF, no bursts are produced. When the device is ON, the device produces a non-variable predetermined or preprogrammed pattern of coordinated liquid and air bursts. Accordingly, the user is not able to adjust the bursts to account for variations in oral cleanliness, sensitivity, liquid use, or other factors. There may be scenarios where, for example, the user would like to use more bursts than might normally be provided, in order to provide an intense cleaning session. In other scenarios, the user may want to conserve liquid and provide a light cleaning session.
In devices where the bursts are variable but are individually triggered by manual activation or firing, the repetitive motion by the user quickly becomes monotonous and can be a physical strain.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for oral cleaning devices that provide user-adjustable coordinated bursts of liquid and air.